Wells are generally drilled into subsurface rocks to access fluids, such as hydrocarbons, stored in subterranean formations. The subterranean fluids can be produced from these wells through known techniques. Operators may want to know certain characteristics of produced fluids to facilitate efficient and economic exploration and production. For example, operators may want to know flow rates of produced fluids. These produced fluids are often multiphase fluids (e.g., those having some combination of water, oil, and gas), making measurement of the flow rates more complex.
Various systems can be used to determine flow rates for multiphase fluids. In some systems, multiphase fluids are separated into their constituent phases and these phases are then individually tested to determine flow rates. Other systems include multiphase flow meters that can be used to measure flow rates of multiphase fluids without separation. These multiphase flow meters may be smaller and lighter than traditional separators and test units, and the ability to measure flow rates without separation may be desirable in some instances. Both the traditional separator systems and the multiphase flow meter systems can also be used to determine certain other fluid characteristics of interest.